Lok Sabha Election 2024 phase 5 highlights: Nearly 57 pc polling, Uddhav alleges deliberate slowdown

An approximate voter turnout of 56.68 per cent was recorded till 5.00 pm today as per Election Commission of India data in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union Territories in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Voters in 49 Lok Sabha seats in eight states and Union Territories, spanning from Ladakh to Odisha, from UP's Awadh and Bundelkhand to bustling Mumbai and its surroundings, began heading to polling stations today, 20 May, to exercise their franchise in the fifth phase of polling.

The seats in the fifth phase include 5 each in Bihar and Odisha, 3 in Jharkhand, 13 in Maharashtra, 14 in UP, 7 in West Bengal, and 1 each in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Voting for 35 seats of the Odisha Assembly will also be held in the state's second phase of simultaneous polling.

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray alleged on Monday afternoon that voting was delayed at several places in Mumbai and the Election Commission of India was doing this deliberately at the behest of the Narendra Modi government.

Delay was taking place at the polling booths in areas where his party expects more votes, he said at a press conference in Mumbai while urging electors to stand in queues as long as early morning if the process was slow.

As per poll officials, a voter turnout of 48.66 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in 13 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra where the fifth and final phase of general elections was taking place.

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's youngest brother Babun Banerjee failed to cast his vote because his name was not found in the voters' list, an election official said.

Babun, who is a voter of Howrah town, went to a polling booth and discovered that his name was not on the list. "The Election Commission of India is looking into the whole matter. Only it can explain why this happened," TMC spokesperson Shantanu Sen said.

When contacted by PTI, Babun refused to comment. He had expressed his displeasure after TMC renominated sitting MP Prasun Banerjee for the Howrah Lok Sabha seat in March. Mamata Banerjee had then said she was cutting off all ties with her brother.

There was a buzz earlier that Babun would contest as an independent candidate after the TMC did not nominate him. He had claimed that the party had promised him a ticket. There was even a rumour that Babun was contemplating joining the BJP.

Over 47 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm on Monday in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union Territories in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections amid sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal and a poll boycott in Uttar Pradesh.

EVM glitches were also reported in some booths of Odisha and West Bengal.

While Maharashtra recorded the lowest voter turnout till 3 pm with 38.77 per cent voters exercising their franchise, West Bengal recorded the highest at 62.72.

Among other states and UTs, Bihar recorded a 45.33 cent turnout, Jammu and Kashmir 44.90 per cent, Jharkhand 53.90 per cent, Odisha 48.95 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 47.55 per cent and Ladakh 61.26.

The Election Commission said it has received 1,036 complaints from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering booths.

A 62-year-old man died of suspected cardiac arrest outside a polling booth in Ramgarh district on Monday, an official said. The incident happened outside booth 193 at the Government Upgraded High School in Chitarpur block's Bhuchungdih village in Hazaribag Lok Sabha constituency. Akhtar Hussain collapsed on the road and died, he said.

"A detailed report in this connection has been sought from local authorities," deputy commissioner Chandan Kumar told PTI. BDO Gyan Shankar Ekka said Hussain lived some 500 m from the polling booth. "He died of a possible cardiac arrest," Ekka said.

A voter turnout of 36.73 per cent was recorded in phase 5 till 1.00 pm as per Election Commission of India data, with the highest turnout in Ladakh, followed by West Bengal, and the lowest still in Maharashtra.

Ladakh recorded the highest turnout at 52.02 per cent, while Maharashtra 27.78 per cent. West Bengal recorded a turnout of 48.41 per cent, Bihar 34.62 per cent, Jharkhand 41.89 per cent, Odisha 35.31 per cent, and Uttar Pradesh 39.55 per cent.

In the one seat (Baramulla) in Jammu and Kashmir, the turnout was 34.79 per cent.

Scattered incidents of violence marred the fifth phase of polling in seven parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, as TMC and BJP workers clashed in various parts of Barrackpore, Bongaon, and Arambagh seats.

Though the Election Commission claims that polling has been peaceful so far, it also said it received 1,036 complaints until 11 am from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering booths.

Clashes broke out between TMC and BJP supporters in Khanakul area of Arambagh constituency over polling agents allegedly being stopped from entering booths. Two live crude bombs were also recovered from the area by security personnel.

In neighbouring Hooghly constituency, sitting BJP MP and candidate Locket Chatterjee faced protests from TMC activists led by TMC MLA Ashima Patra. As Chatterjee was on her way to a booth, TMC activists staged protests and shouted "chor chor (thief)".

Following which the BJP MP got off her car and raised counter slogans. A huge police and Central forces contingent rushed to the spot and stepped between the two groups. In some areas, TMC workers staged protests following allegations that Central forces were helping BJP workers intimidate voters in some booths.

Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported from various parts of Howrah constituency. In the Liluah area of Howrah, the BJP accused TMC workers of booth jamming, leading to clashes between both groups. Central police forces rushed to the area and dispersed the mob.

In Bongaon constituency’s Gayeshpur area, local BJP leader Subir Biswas was allegedly assaulted by TMC goons outside a booth and later shifted to hospital. In the Kalyani area of the same constituency, Union minister and BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur reportedly caught a person using the identity card of his rival TMC candidate Biswajit Das inside a polling booth. The person was later removed from the booth by Central forces.

With voting underway in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed there were several complaints from electors about facilities outside polling booths.

Voters were trying to beat the heat and exercise their franchise in large numbers, the former state minister said, adding that electors should at least be made to queue up in the shade and provided fans.

"A lot of complaints from voters about the facilities outside the booths @ECISVEEP Atleast having the voter lines in shade/ fans could help. They don't want much, just basics to stay cool. Please look into it," Thackeray said in a post on X.

Some of the electors in Mumbai said they went to the polling booths early in the morning to beat the heat. Altogether 2.46 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 264 candidates in the state's 13 Lok Sabha seats.

A voter turnout of 23.66 per cent was recorded in phase 5 till 11 am as per Election Commission of India data, with the highest turnout in West Bengal and the lowest in Maharashtra.

As before, West Bengal recorded the highest turnout at 32.70 per cent, while Maharashtra still had the lowest at 15.93 per cent. Bihar recorded 21.11 per cent, Jharkhand 26.18 per cent, Odisha 21.07 per cent, and Uttar Pradesh 27.72 per cent.

Of the Union Territories, one seat (Baramulla) in Jammu and Kashmir had a turnout of 21.37 per cent, while Ladakh recorded 27.87 per cent.

As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ramps up its campaign in Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s desperation is mounting. The niceties that once characterised his relationship with Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik — who is among the few regional satraps on whom the BJP-led NDA could rely to bail it out in Parliament — have been abandoned.

The ferocity of the PM’s attacks on Patnaik has compelled the usually mild-mannered chief minister to respond to the barbs of his one-time friend. This kind of a recriminatory campaign has rarely been seen in the state.

Read more in our special report on Odisha

As polling began in 49 constituencies for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said it has become clear that people have stood up to protect the Constitution and democracy and the country is witnessing a storm of change.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Today is the fifth phase of voting! In the first four phases itself, it has become clear that people have stood up to protect the Constitution and democracy and are defeating the BJP.

"This country is fed up with the politics of hatred and is now voting on its own issues. Youths for jobs, farmers for MSP and freedom from debt, women for economic independence and security, and labourers for fair wages.

An approximate voter turnout of 10.28 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling on Monday in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union Territories in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

While Maharashtra recorded the lowest voter turnout till 9.00 am with 6.33 per cent voters exercising their franchise, West Bengal recorded the highest voting percentage with 15.35 per cent.

Among the other states and UTs, Bihar recorded 8.86 per cent turnout, Jammu and Kashmir 7.63 per cent, Jharkhand 11.68 per cent, Ladakh 10.51 per cent, Odisha 6.87 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 12.89 per cent.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das cast his vote early in the morning and urged all electors to exercise their franchise. “I urge all the voters to vote…this is a right in our parliamentary democracy and everyone should exercise it,” Das told PTI after casting his vote at a polling centre near his official residence in south Mumbai.

Voters should also exercise their franchise in large numbers during the remaining phases of the general elections, he said.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general-secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, "With your one vote, Rs 1 lakh will come into the account of a woman from every poor family annually, every citizen will get the facility of free treatment worth Rs 25 lakh, the youth will get 30 lakh government jobs, the youth will get apprenticeship worth (Rs) 1 lakh annually, and SC/ST/OBC will get proper participation.

"Your one vote will protect democracy and the Constitution of the country."

Priyanka also appealed to the people of the country to vote in maximum numbers. "Your one vote will free the country from inflation, unemployment and economic crisis and will strengthen the country," she wrote.

The Election Commission of India removed a BSF jawan from poll duty in West Bengal's Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency following a complaint of molestation against him, an official said.

A woman lodged the molestation complaint at Uluberia police station on Sunday evening, he said.

“We have removed him from election duty. We are waiting for the police report. If found guilty, necessary action will be taken as per law,” the poll panel official told PTI.

Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls is ongoing across seven parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal amid tight security. The ECI has designated over 57 per cent of the polling stations as sensitive, and deployed over 60,000 Central forces personnel, in addition to around 30,000 policemen.

The number of security forces deployed for this phase surpasses that of any of the earlier four phases in the state, the official added.

Even before polling began this morning, Arjun Singh, the BJP MP and candidate from Barrackpore in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district alleged that ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Partha Bhowmick was distributing money on Sunday night on the eve of polling.

“A complaint has already been made to the Election Commission…If such things keep happening, it will not be good for Partha Bhowmick (TMC candidate)…We will try to have peaceful elections but if that doesn’t happen, government will be responsible for it…,” Singh was quoted as telling news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, the TMC has made several allegations so far, claiming that three of its workers have been assaulted by "BJP goons", leaving one severely injured. It has also claimed to have received 48 complaints from polling booths, mostly to do with EVM-related malfunctions.

Polling booths in many parts of Mumbai witnessed brisk voting as soon as polling began at 7.00 am in its six Lok Sabha constituencies.

Among the early voters were Union minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP nominee from Mumbai North seat, and city Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, who is contesting from Mumbai North Central seat.

The early voters also included industrialist Anil Ambani, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who exercised his franchise for the first time after his return to Indian citizenship, actor Jahnvi Kapoor, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and Marathi theatre actor Prashant Damle.

Union Ministers Rajnath Singh (from Lucknow), Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), and Smriti Irani (Amethi), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (Raebareli) and National Conference's Omar Abdullah (Baramulla) are among the 695 candidates in the fray.